Liverpool have already sold a “complete” Van Dijk heir

Discuss of a quadruple’s again. Pleasure.

Liverpool have been right here earlier than, however there is no denying that issues really feel a bit totally different with Arne Slot on the helm. The Dutch tactician has been a revelation within the still-warm seat of Jurgen Klopp.

Six factors away from second-placed Arsenal with a recreation in hand within the Premier League, ending first within the opening section of the Champions League and thus bypassing the additional knockout spherical, into the Carabao Cup last and awaiting an FA Cup showdown in opposition to Plymouth Argyle, there’s each purpose to be excited at Anfield.

It is all to play for, however the Reds know all concerning the agony of falling inside a whisker, of coming inside per week of true immortality. Because the likes of Virgil van Dijk carry on saying: it is one recreation at a time. Then we’ll see.

Van Dijk is main the cost, and although he is coy about Liverpool’s probabilities of silverware, he is aware of that the Anfield facet is in a unbelievable place.

Nevertheless, will or not it’s his last few months because the membership captain?

Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool future

Van Dijk – together with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold – is out of contract on the finish of the season. Everyone knows the rating by now.

Richard Hughes actually does. The sporting director can be working tirelessly to achieve a breakthrough and be sure that Slot doesn’t lose his lifeblood as an thrilling new period begins to hit its stride.

The Liverpool skipper may flip 34 after the tip of the season, however he is the most effective centre-back on this planet and has proven little signal that he is set to nosedive within the rapid future.

Slot, for what it is value, needs to retain his countryman’s providers and preserve working with him, however Liverpool have to be ready for any eventuality as kitchen-sink time approaches.

If Van Dijk leaves, Liverpool might want to break the financial institution on a successor. It is a disgrace {that a} shrewd inheritor has already been offered.

Liverpool might have offered a shrewd Van Dijk inheritor

FSG routinely come below the kosh for his or her perceived hesitance within the switch market, failing to make the signings that followers need. Nevertheless, Liverpool have averted any actually debilitating accidents this time period as they skip into the enterprise months.

The primary-team squad is balanced and has depth. Nevertheless, Slot may lose Liverpool’s core chassis earlier than the autumn months are upon us.

That is why Sepp van den Berg might need been a shrewd choice to have been stored on Merseyside, for he’s an athletic and expert defender with loads of progress nonetheless to return earlier than he reaches the apex of his growth.

Liverpool have banked loads over the previous few switch home windows, solely signing Federico Chiesa and the out-on-loan Giorgi Mamardashvili since Klopp capped his exceptional nine-year run of spending, with Ryan Gravenberch a jackpot signing if there ever was one.

Van den Berg did leave to the tune of £25m, as Brentford met Liverpool’s valuation after weeks of back-and-forth. The Dutch defender, solely 23, had excelled on mortgage with Mainz within the German Bundesliga final season and had been praised by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his “promising and full” qualities.

Liverpool’s scouting division returned a glowing endorsement of the then-teenage expertise in 2019, with FSG authorising the £1m signing of Zwolle’s rising defender.

His worth has skyrocketed and there is no query that Liverpool struck gold from a monetary perspective, however Van den Berg has the standard to have made an influence in Slot’s squad, difficult Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah for minutes.

Over the previous 12 months, Van den Berg has ranked among the many prime 1% of centre-backs throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues for aerial duels gained (4.14) per 90, as per FBref, illustrating his suitability to step into Van Dijk’s boots.

Furthermore, he is proved below Thomas Frank this season that he has what it takes to reach the Premier League, starting 19 matches for the Bees since becoming a member of.

Quansah, 22, will hope to make the requisite enhancements over the approaching years that may see him emerge as a beginning member of Slot’s challenge week in, week out, however in Van den Berg, Liverpool might need misplaced the proper possibility.

It is also value noting that whereas Quansah impressed below Klopp’s wing final season, he is scarcely been utilized by Liverpool’s new head coach, enjoying 5 top-flight fixtures this yr and starting just two.

There is no telling whether or not Van den Berg would have acquired extra probabilities to impress had he remained on Merseyside, however provided that he is accomplished 84% of his passes and averaged 5 profitable duels per Premier League match, as per Sofascore, there is a good probability that he has the sturdy and composed strategy to the defensive recreation that Slot covets.

As you possibly can see from the defenders’ contrasted metrics from final season, Van den Berg was outperforming Quansah by a smidge, owing to his rangy and sturdy model.

Finally, Liverpool claimed £25m for a younger participant who had solely made 4 senior appearances, and thus it is tough to say that promoting him was a blunder. Nevertheless, ought to Van Dijk depart this summer season, his is likely to be a signature that was value holding round, particularly given the robust monetary place that FSG are in after a number of home windows of cautious planning.

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